Is Private Rocketry the Future of Space Travel?

By: Abinav Atreya

Is rocketry and space travel destined to become a private industry, or will it stay based in the government?

Over the last few centuries, technology has progressed at a near-exponential rate. Two hundred years ago, the average person could communicate with others only through letters. A few decades later, the telegraph emerged as the first method of long-distance communication based on electricity. When transportational technologies become more commonplace and publicly accessible, the responsibility for their development and improvement shifts from governments to private enterprises. This pattern has repeated with trains, cars, and later, planes. However, the next leap in transportation technology, will not take place on Earth, but in space, in the form of rocketry. Transferring rocketry from a government-run endeavor to one driven by private businesses marks a key step in the future of space travel. 

The first true rocket was invented by Robert Goddard, in 1926. Before this, rockets used gunpowder as fuel, but Goddard’s rocket was the first liquid-fueled rocket. From here, the field of rocketry exploded tremendously, and less than 20 years later, advanced rockets—closely resembling modern-day ones—were being used in WW2. For example, the V-2, a missile developed by Germany.

Rocketry really began to take off in the space race, a part of the overarching Cold War; a fierce competition between the USA and USSR to prove their technological superiority. Both sides produced incredible advancements in space flight, namely the Soviets being the first to send a probe and human into space, and the Americans being the first to land on the moon. Incredible pieces of technology were built during this time, such as the Saturn V, a 363-foot tall and 6,537,000-pound heavy monster that took humans to the moon for the first time. The Saturn V and its Apollo missions were succeeded by the Space Shuttle, with the shuttle being a smaller, reusable, and economical craft. Unfortunately for the program, as the century rolled into its last few years, it became clear that the shuttle was draining money from NASA’s budget. From here, the field of rocket science lay on the back burner for a while. Large advancements were made in technology, but few new concepts were added to the table. Fuel costs skyrocketed out of control, and the crashes of the shuttles Columbia and Challenger effectively terminated public support. 

Soon, however, a new player entered the stage. One not run by a government, but one of the first private businesses in the field. SpaceX changed the rocketry scene entirely. A field almost entirely run by governments now had a private business in the mix. And very soon, the company began rapidly innovating and building. The first reusable liquid-fuel rocket was developed by SpaceX, and they were the first to land a booster back onto a landing pad, both being massive technological steps towards developing the industry of space travel and unlocking the vast quantities of cosmic resources.

You might be wondering why the industry quickened up again after the introduction of private enterprises, and the answer lies in government policies. As NASA, a nationally-run space administration, has to be careful about every new concept, blueprint, and prototype to avoid being stopped by the government and unhappy taxpayers. In contrast, SpaceX and other private companies have far fewer roadblocks when it comes to experimentation. This is especially important when rocketry is a field learned best by experimentation. Government policies slow down innovation. This isn’t an attitude shared just by your average citizen; it’s also shared and supported by research and corporations. For example, the Federal Resources Corporation stated that, “Agencies are bound by strict regulatory frameworks and compliance requirements that often slow down the decision-making process.” 

The industry of rocket technology has brought with it incredible advancements. It enjoyed a prolonged period of stable growth, but with government policies slowing it down, it needs to be in the hands of private enterprises. Leaps aren’t made with excessive micromanagement and intense scrutiny, they are made by bold jumps—experiments into the unknown.

SpaceX, May 8th 2024